The Status of Postharvest Handling among Smallholder Farmers in Eastern Uganda

Abstract

Postharvest - losses remain the major constraint to food, nutrition and income security among majority of the households in Sub-Saharan Africa. Studies indicate that appropriate use of improved postharvest handling recommended practices and technologies provide vast opportunities to reduce postharvest losses and improve food safety. However, the status of postharvest handling among agricultural households in Eastern Uganda is unknown. We explored postharvest handling practices and technologies used for maize and cassava among smallholder farmer households in the districts of Pallisa, Kamuli, and Buyende. Data were collected using 36 Focus Group discussions, 285 household interviews and subjected to content analysis and descriptive statistics. Results suggest that majority of agricultural households engage in various postharvest handling activities like transportation, drying, shelling, chipping, storage, and milling. However, most household’s use the rudimentary technologies at different stages of handling stimulating  postharvest loses consequently leading to food, nutrition and income insecurity. The study recommends that high priority should be placed on accessibility and cost friendly simple technologies that suit agricultural households with multiple social-economic characteristics.

Key words: Postharvest handling, losses, technologies, smallholder farmers